Method and apparatus for making wire fabric



July 4, 1939. J. K. WATKINS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRICFiled March 12, 1938 e Shets-Shet 1 film/5555 waded/oz, WM

am v M 4 ATTORNEYS.

Jul 4, 1939.

J. K. WATKINS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC Filed March12,1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illlll'llllllllllllllllllllllll IL 4 ATTORNEYJ.

W/DVESJES July 4, J w ms 2,164,481v

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC Filed March 12, 1938" eSheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR A. A M lw wmvrssfs x v P Mflmm A J ATTORNEYS.

July 4, 1939 J. K. WATKINS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC 6Sheets-Shet 4 Filed March L2, 1938 4 ATTORNEYS.

July 4, 1939. A J w ms 2,164,481

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC Filed March 12, 1938 6Sheets-Sheet livili -T- T 1::

I J 1 "I m T m V m W/TNBSEJ WW W 44 ATTORNEYS.

J. K. WATKINS METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC July 4, 1939.

Filed March 12, 1938 6 Sheets-Shet e S @1 QJGAQQQ W N W ATTORNEYSPatented 4, 1939 2,164,481

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WIRE FABRIC James K. Watkins, Monessen,Pa., assignor to Pittsburgh Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporationof Pennsylvania Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,555

15 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for making wire fabricand-more particularly is concerned with the manufacture of wire fencepickets of unequal length which are crimped to improve the appearanceand strength ofthefencegi Here'tofore ture of wire fence or similarwire.;fabric,'.; itfhas been the practice to crim'p'the-jlon'gitudiirally extending strand wires which give'the fence aresiliency so that changes in temperature, as from winter to summer, donot result in fence sag, and also the crimping of the wires improves thcapp arance of the fence. Generally in the past, wire fence II has beenmade from such longitudinal strand wires connected together by aplurality of spaced picket or stay wires which are, in one popular formof fence, welded to the strand wires. Some attempts have been madeheretofore to provide go such wire fence with picket or stay wires ofdifferent length as, for example, to employ a relatively short staywirebetween each pair of stay wires which extend the full width, 1. e.,height, of the fence.- These shortpicket wires 5 increase the numberofwires in a given length of the fence and prevent animals, rubbish or thelike, from passing through the fence near the bottom thereof. Difficultyhas been experienced in making welded wire fence with pickets of soalternately shorter and longer lengths, and this has been due largely toexpensive methods and apparatus of construction. Moreover, while thestrand wires of fence have been crimped, as described above, to improvetheir strength and ap:

pearance, the picket or stay wires have never been crimped after beingwelded in place, so far as Lam aware, and particularly they have notbeen crimped by automatic production methods and apparatus.

' It is the general object of my invention to avoid andovercometheforegoing andother difllculties of and objections to knownmethods alternate or selected stay wires are of diiferent but readilyadjustable lengths.

I Another object of my invention is the provision of mechanism forautomatically forming crimps in the stay wires of wire fence fabric. 5

The foregoing and other objects of my invention are achieved by theprovision of a wire fabric fence-building machine of the type havingmeans for supporting and feeding strandwires forward in parallelrelation, and means for welding stay wires thereto, characterized bymeans for alternately feeding a relatively long full-width stay wireacross the strand wires and a relatively short stay wire acrossonly partof the strand wires but in spaced parallel relation with each other, andmeans for crimping the stay wires between the strand wires regardless ofthe stay wire lengths and after they have been welded into place.

The stay wire feeding mechanism of my invention is employed with anapparatus for making wire fence, such apparatus including means forsupporting strand wires in parallel relation in a plane, and means forweldingstay wires to the strand wires. The stay wire feeding mechanismis characterized by the inclusion of means for gripping and feeding astay wire transversely of the 'strand wires, means for alternatelygiving the feeding means a long and a short movement, means foradjusting the length of the long feeding movement, and means foradjusting the length of the short feeding movement.

The mechanism for crimping the stay wires of the-wire fabric comprisesmeans for advanc- 35 ing the fabric, dies adapted to engage with theopposite sides of a stay wire to crimp it, means for effecting relativemovement between the plane of the fabric substantially at right anglesto its forward movement and the dies thereby to place a stay wirebetween the dies or remove it from such a position, and means to closethe dies about a stay wire when the dies are properly positioned toeffect a crimping of the stay wire.

My method of making wire fence which comprises welding stay wires atlongitudinally spaced points to longitudinally extending substantiallyparallel strand wires is characterized by feeding a stay wire across thefull width of the substantially. parallel strand wires, cutting the staylength stay wires along the wire fabric to thus produce a fence havingpickets of at least two different heights recurrent at fixed intervalsalong the fabric.

For a better understanding of my invention reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is'a plan view of the completeapparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the stay wire feedingmechanism; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the stay wire feedingmechanism; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the stay wire crimpingmechanism; Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the stay wire crimpingmechanism; Fig. 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of thewirecrimping dies and is taken on line VIVI of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is aplan view taken on line VIIVII of Fig. 5 and showing a plan view of thecrimping dies and the wire fabric produced.

Since apparatus for making welded wire fabric, and particularly weldedwire fence, is broadly old and well known, and my invention relatesmerely to associated mechanisms to be applied to such known apparatusand used in combination therewith, I have neither illustrated in detailthe mechanism for supporting and advancing step by step, or otherwise,the longitudinal or strand wires, nor the mechanism for resistancewelding the transverse picket or stay wires thereto. Suffice it to saythat such apparatus comprises a frame I0 including a fabric-supportingand advancing drum I2 and a bed I4 for receiving the strand wires inspaced parallel relation from suitable supply means (not shown), and formoving the strand wires in parallel relation beneath a welding mechanismI6. The frame I0 includes internal driving mechanism, generallyindicated at I8, and contained within the frame I0.

It will be understood that the parallel strand wires, indicated by theletter D, are received upon the bed I4 and are moved by the mechanism I8step by step over the bed, and each time the strand wires are at rest astay wire is fed, by mechanism indicated generally at I9 and hereinafterparticularly described, transversely of the strand wires usually at aposition adjacent the welding mechanism I6. After being fed into place,each stay wire is cut off and welded to the strand wires before thestrand wires are again advanced. By continuously repeating theoperation, wire fabric comprising longitudinally extending strand wiresand transversely directed picket'or stay wires is produced. Such fabricis carried over the drum I2 down between rollers 20 on the frame and iswound, on the wind-up reel 22 carried on arm extensions 24 of the frame:0. The crimping mechanism for crimping the strand wires D is not shownsince it forms no part of my present invention but it is usuallypositioned to operate on the strand wires after they pass over the drumI2. The mechanism for crimping the picket or stay wires is indicatedgenerally by the numeral 26 and is positioned between the rollers 20 andthe wind-up reel 22 and will hereinafter be described in detail.

The mechanism for feeding the stay wires includes a frame 30 which issecured to the frame I0, as best seen in Fig. 1, so that the frame 30extends substantially at right angles to the frame I0 and the directionof the movement of the strand wires D over the bed I4. The top of theframe 30 is in substantially horizontal alignment with the bed I4. Theframe 30 carries a. crankshaft 32 in suitable bearings, which shaft isdriven by gear 34 which meshes with a gear 36 carried upon a shaft 38forming a part of the mechanism I8. At each end of the crank-shaft 32 ismounted a crank, indicated by the numerals 40 and 4|, which cranksextend substantially at 180 to each other, as best seen in Fig. 3, andwhich include adjustable screws 42 and 43, whereby the effective lengthsof the cranks 40 and M can be controlled. This is done by connecting thescrews 42 and 43 in fixed relation to the hubs of the cranks andreceiving the threaded ends of the screws in tapped bores of blocksradially movable in suitable grooves in the crank arms and carryingconnecting rod pins 46 and 41.

Positioned in vertical alignment with the shaft 32 at the sides of theframe 30 are racks 48 and 50 which are mounted for vertical slidingmovement in suitable gibs, indicated at 54. Each rack carries a stud pin56 and the pins 56 are pivotally connected to the crank pins 46 and 41by connecting rods 58 and 58a, respectively, so that upon the rotationof the crank-shaft 32 the racks 48 and 50 are given reciprocatingmovements up and down in their gibs 54. The teeth of the rack 48 engagewith a hubbed pinion 60 carried in a bearing 62 and rotatably receivinga shaft 64. In like manner the teeth of the rack 50 engage with a hubbedpinion 66 rotatably received in a bearing 68 and rotatably receiving theother end of the shaft 64. The shaft 64 has secured thereto at itscenter a wheel I2 which carries a. ratchet gear I4 on its one lateralface and a ratchet gear I6 on its other lateral face.

Each pinion 60 and 66 carries an arm 18 and 80, respectively, to whichare secured pawls 82 I and 84, respectively, which engage withtheratchet gears I4 and 16, respectively. The wheel 12 is formed with ashoulder which fixedly carries a stay wire feed ring 88 which maybeformed with a flat wire engaging face but which is preferably formedwith one or more shallow grooves, as shown, usually equal in depth toabout onehalf the diameter of the wire being fed. Cooperating with thefeed ring 88 is a feed wheel 90 pivotally mounted upon a short shaft 92carried between the bifurcated portions of a lever 94 pivotally secured,as at 96, to a bracket 98 on the frame 30. The other end of the lever 94is slotted and receives a bolt I00 which is pivotally secured at one endto a cam lock I02. The other end of the bolt I00 is received in a clevisI04 pivotally secured to the frame 30 and including a. tighteningcompression spring I06. Gears I01 and I08 connect the feed wheel 90 andthe wheel 12 for positive feeding movement.

The frame 30 carries stay wire straightening and guiding means,indicated generally by the numerals II 0 and H2, which are in alignmentwith the wire-feeding wheel 90 and the feed ring 88. The stay wire,indicated by the letter Y, is brought from a suitable source (not shown)over the guide shive H4 and into the wire-guiding and straighteningmeans H0 and H2 from which it passesbetween the feeding rolls andthrough an opening H6 in the frame I30 to a point just above, as shown,or, if desired, to a point just below the plane of the strandwires Dcarried upon the bed I4. Once in position the stay wire is cut offby'suitable mechanism, indicated generally at I20 and of knowncharacter, which is operated through a link I22 and a bell-crank I24which carries a follower I26 engaging with a cam I 28 carried on theshaft 38. The synchronized operation of the welding mechanism I6 effectsthe resistance welding of the cut-off stay wire to the longitudinallyextending strand wires.

Beforev proceeding with the description of the ing rod 58 and the upwardmovement of the rack and swings pawl-carrying rotates pinion 60 bracketI8 through an arc. The pawls 82 carried by the bracket I8 engage withthe ratchet gear 14 carried on the wheel I2 and thus rotate the wheel I2and the feed ring 88. This rotary movement of the ring 88 and thesimultaneous rotation of the feeding wheel 90 pulls the stay wire Y overthe shive II4 through the straight ening and guiding mechanisms H0 andH2 and feeds the stay wire out transversely over or under thelongitudinally extending strand wires D.

The length of the feeding movement is dependent upon the length of thecrank 40 which is determined by the adjustment of the screw 42 and theposition of the pin 46 as controlled thereby. For a full feedingmovement the pin 46 is out near the end of the crank so that afulllength picket or stay wire is provided. For a short picket or staywire the screw 42 is ,ad-

justed so that the-pin 46 is moved in on the crank '40 to provide arelatively short throw of the crank and a short feeding movement. 7 Oncethe stay wire hasbeen fed out over the strand wires continued rotationof the shaft 38 brings the cam I28 into engagement with the follower I26to rock the bell-crank I24 andoperate the cut-off mechanism I20 whichcuts off the stay wire. The synchronized operation of the weld-. ingmechanism then secures the stay wire to the strand wires as willbe'understood.

After the rack 48 reaches the top of its movement' and starts down, therotation of the pinion 60 is reversed and the pawl or pawls 82 carriedby the bracket I8 mounted on the pinion 60 ride in a return movementover the inclined surfaces of the teeth of the ratchet gear-14 and thereis no movement to feed the stay wire Y. However, at this time the crankH is raising the rack 50 and the pinion 66 is rotated to carry itsbracket 18 and pawl or pawls 84 against the ratchet gear I6toeffect arotation of the wheel I2 and another feeding movement of the stay wireY. Thus, by making the cranks 40 and M of different effective lengthswhich can be readily done by meansof the screws 42 and 43, everyalternate stay wire can'be made relatively short as compared to' theother stay wires which are made to extend the full height of the fence,he, the full width of the 'fabric,produced. The timing of the feedingmechanism, just described, is so coordinated with the mechanism I8,which moves the strand wires D forward step by step, that each stay wireis fully fed at the time it is in the proper position to be welded sothat when it i is cut off it can be immediately welded to the stationarystrand wires, and as soon as this is done, the strand wires againadvance so that the next stay wire feeding operation can immediatelyfollow with its cut-off and welding. The continued repetition of thisoperation effects the application of the stay wires to the strand wires.The adjustment of the bolt I00 and the spring I06 effects the drivingtension on the stay wire posia,1c4,4s1

tioned between the feed ring 88 and the feeding wheel 90.

After the stay wires have been applied, to the" strand wires asheretofore described, the wire fabric is passed over the drum I2 anddown between the rollers 20 carried by the frame and onto the wind-upreel 22. Between the rollers 20 and the wind-up reel 22 the stay wirecrimping mechanism 26 is positioned on the arms 24. This mechanismincludes brackets I 50 mounted on the arms 24 and carrying shafts I52and I54. The shaft I54 acts as a pivot pin for pivotally mounting aplurality of pairs of pincher arms I56, as seen in Fig.6, the longerportions of which are resiliently urged towards each other by means oftension springs I58. The shorter portions of the pincher arms I56 areformed with faces I60, each face being adapted to carry a plurality ofstay wire engagingfingers I62, usually in the form of rollers,positioned as shown in Fig. '7 and staga gered with relation to eachother. Thus when a stay wire is gripped between the rollers and thepincher arms I56 are brought together, a stay wire is crimped in themanner shown in Fig. '7. The length of each set of pincher arms I56along shaft I54 is somewhat less than the transverse distance betweenthe strand wires D of the fabric, so that the pincher jaws can be movedbetween the strand wires and to a position surrounding a stay wirewithout striking the strand wires.

In order to move the pincher'arms I56 about the shaft I54 to eflect acrimping operation, the shaft I52 is provided with a plurality of doublecams I66, I68, I10 and I12 which are adapted to engage withsuitable camfollowers II4 carried between the bifurcated ends of the pincher armsI56 and adapted to simultaneously .engage with the shaft I52, aswi11 beseen from Fig. 6. The

shaft I52 is given a periodic rocking movement 'by connecting cranks I18to the ends of the shaft near-the brackets I50 and rocking the cranks bylinks I pivotally secured to levers I82 rotatably about points I84 onthe frame I0. Links I86 pivotally connect the levers I82 to camfollowers I88 engaging with cams I90 driven by the mechanism I8.

An important part of the crimping mechanism is the means for effectingrelative movement between the wire fabric and the crimping mechanism ina direction substantially at right angles to the plane of the fabric.Such means move each stay wire into and out of position between of thearms 200 to lower the plane of the wire I fabric so as to position thestay wire to be crimped between the rollers I62 carried by the pincherarms I56. The continued rocking movement of the shaft I52 causes'the camI66 to engage with the followers I14 and rock the pincher arms I56 toforce the rollers I62 carried thereby into crimping engagement with thesides of the stay wire engaged. v v o I As shown in Fig. 6, I preferablymake the sevthe pcrtionsof the. double cams on either side of eral camsI66, I68, I10 and I12 of progressively shorter arcuate length so thatthe crimping operation on the particular stay wire is progressive eitherfrom end to end or from the center portion thereof outwardly. This isdone because the stay wires are not stretched, and as a result thestrand wires move closer together during the crimping operation, andsince the crimping operation is progressive, the power required for theoperation is less than that which would be required if the entire lengthof the stay wire were crimped at the same time.'

I may make each of the cams I66, I68, I" and I12 to operatesimultaneously to crimp the stay wire with a simultaneous stretching,but while this is part of my inventive concept, it is not preferred.

It is believed that the operation of the stay wire crimping apparatuswill be evident from the foregoing description. The wire fabric with thestay wires welded thereto at longitudinally spaced points and insubstantially transversely extending directions is fed forward step bystep through the crimping mechanism. The means I8 for achieving thisfeeding movement of the fabric are coordinated through the cams I sothat as the. fabric stops the movement of the cams I90 first rocks theshaft I52 to efl'ect a lowering of the plane of the fabric to bring thenext stay wire to be crimped between the crimping rollers. Thecontinuedmovement of the cam I90 rocks the shaft I52 farther to bring the camsI66, I68, I10 and I12 in turn into engagement with the cam followers I14which force the crimping rollers I 62 into crimping relation with thestay wire. The rocking movement of the shaft I52 in the other directionas effected by the cams I90 opens up the crimping rollers I 62 and thepincher arms I54 so that in the final rocking movement of the shaft I52the cams 208 engage with the cams 206 to move the fabric away from thecrimping rollers I52 so that the fabric can again be fed forward onestep and the operation repeated. It will be understood that the steppedforward movement of the fabric is equal to the distance between the staywires.

By this mechanism a wire fabric, and particularly a wire fence, can bemade as seen in Fig. 7, which includes crimped longitudinally extendingstrand wires D held in spaced parallel relation to each other bytransversely extending picket or stay wires Y, certain recurrent staywires at longitudinally fixed intervals extending the full width orheight of the fabric and being crimped in a manner similar to the strandwires so that the appearance of the fence is definitely improved. Thespaces between the full width stay wires receive the short picket orstay wires which are likewise crimped and both the long and short staywires are formed with curved ends or scrolls (by suitable means notshown), which scrolls overlap each other and are secured to one another.The resulting fence is of a particularly attractive appearance and isstrong and resilient, and provides added strength and meshes along oneportion, usually the lower portion, so that it fulfills a long-felt wantin the trade and achieves the objects of the..invention.

The apparatus herein described is adapted to be used with any of thestandard wire fabric making machines and provides relatively inexpensivebut rapid and satisfactory means for making wire fence having picket orstay wires of alternate lengths which are crimped after being welded inposition.

While in accordance with the patent statutes I have specificallyillustrated and described my invention, it should be understood that theinvention is not limited thereto or thereby, but is defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A wire fabric building machine of the type having means forsupporting and feeding strand wires forward in parallel relation andmeans for securing stay wires thereto, characterized by means forcrimping the stay wires in the plane of the fabric, and means foreffecting relative movement between the plane of the fabric and the diesto position each stay wire between the dies for the crimping operation.

2. A wire fabric building machine of the type having means forsupporting and feeding strand wires forward in parallel relationand'means for welding stay wires thereto, characterized by means forfeeding stay wires across the strand wires but in spaced parallelrelation with each other, and means, operable after each stay wire iswelded in place, for crimping a stay wire between a pair of strand wiresa plurality of times Ian}? on smooth curves lying in the plane of the aric.

3. Stay wire feeding mechanism for use withan apparatus for making wirefabric, such apparatus including means for supporting strand wires inparallel relation in a plane, and means for securing stay wires to thestrand wires, said stay wire feeding mechanism being characterized bythe inclusion of means for gripping and feeding a stay wire transverselyof the strand wires, means for alternately giving the feeding means longand short movements, means for adjusting the length of the long feedingmovement, and means for adjusting the length of the short feedingmovement.

4. Stay wire feeding mechanism for use with an apparatus for making wirefence, such apparatus including means for supporting strand wires inParallel relation in a plane, and means for welding stay wires to thestrand wires, said stay wire feeding mechanism being characterized bythe inclusion of rolls for gripping and feeding a stay wire transverselyof the strand wires, means for alternately giving the feeding rolls aturn through a greater and a less angle, means for adjusting the rollturning angle of the long feeding movement, and means for adjusting theroll turning angle of the short feeding movement.

5. Stay wire feeding mechanism for use with an apparatus for making wirefence, such apparatus including means for supporting strand wires inparallel relation in a plane, and means for welding stay wires to thestrand wires, said stay wire feeding mechanism being characterized bythe inclusion of rolls for gripping and feeding a stay wire transverselyof the strand wires, and means for alternately giving the rolls a turnthrough a long and a short angle, said last-named means including acrank-shaft, cranks of adjustable length secured to the crank-shaft andextending substantially at' degrees to each other, and ratchet wheelsconnected to the rolls and operated by the cranks.

6. Apparatus for crimping the stay wires of wire fabric comprising meansfor advancing the fabric, dies adapted to engage with the opposite sidesof a stay wire to crimp it, means for effecting relative movementbetween the plane of the fabric and the dies to place a stay wirebetween the dies or remove it from such a position, and

means to close the dies about a stay wire when 15 the dies are properlypositioned to effect a crimping of the stay wire in the plane of thefabric.

.7; Apparatus for crimping the stay wires of wire fabric comprisingmeans foradvancing the fabric, dies adapted to engage with the oppositesides of a stay wire to crimp it, means synchronized with the fabricadvancing means for effecting relative-movement between the plane of ithe fabric substantially at right angles to its.

forward movement and'the dies to place a'stay wire between the dies orremove it from such a position, and means synchronized with the fabricadvancing means to closethe dies about a stay f wire when the dies areproperly positioned effect a crimping of the stay wire. 8. Apparatus forcrimping the stay wires of wire fabric comprisingmeans foradvancing thefabric step by step, dies adapted to move between the strand wires andto engage with the opposite sides of a stay wire to crimp it, means foreffecting relative movement betweentheplane of the fabric substantiallyat right angles to-its stepped forward movement and the dies to place astay wire between the diesor remove it from such a position, and meansto close the dies about a stay wire when the dies are properlypositioned to effect a crimping of the stay wire in the plane of thefabric.

9. Apparatus for crimping the stay wires of each pair of strand wires,means for effecting relative movement between the plane of the fabricsubstantially at right angles to its. stepped forward movement and thedies to places. stay wire between the dies or remove it from such aposition, and a plurality of means :to close the dies progressivelyabout a stay wire whenthe dies are properly positioned to-ferrect acrimping of the stay wire.

. 10. Apparatus 1dr crimping the stay, wires of wire fence fabriccomprising means fo'r-v advancingthe fabric step by step,.dies'adaptedto engage with theioppositesides of a stay wire to ycrim'pit on smooth curves a plurality of times between each pair of strandwires, means'for effecting relative movement" between the 'plane ofthefabric substantially'at right angles to its f ence. i a

1- 15. That. method of making wire fence which stepped forward movement]and the dies to place a stay wirebetween the dies or remove it from sucha, position, a shaft, alplurality of cams on the sum, and' means "to'move the shaft through an angle to close; the dies" about a stay wirewhen the dies ,are properly positioned toeifect a crimping of the staywire.

11 That methodlofmaking wirefabric which comprises securing transversestaywires at longitudinally spaced pointsto longitudinally ex-- tendingsubstantially parallel strand wires characterized by feeding a stay wireacrossthe full widthof the substantially parallel strand wires,

least one stay wire across only part of the strand wires, cutting thestay wire off and securing it to the spanned strand wires, and repeatingthe operation to provide the alternate length stay wires along the wirefabric.

12. That method of making wire fabric which comprises securingtransverse stay wires at longitudinally spaced points to longitudinallyextending substantially parallel strand wires characterized by feeding astay wire across the full width ofthe substantially parallelstran'dwires,

cutting the stay wire oil? and securing it to; the strandwires,advancing the fabric, feeding at least one staywire across only part ofthe strand wires, cutting the stay wire oifandfsecuring it to thespanned strand wires, repeating the op eraticn to provide the-alternatelengthstay wires along the wire fabric, and crimping the staywires afterthey have been secured in place.

13. That method of making wire' 'fence which comprises weldingtransverse stay wires at "longitudinally spaced .points tolongitudinally'extending substantially parallel strand; wires char acterized byfeeding a stay wire across the full width of the substantiallyparallelstrandlwires,

ii) I cutting the stay wire ofl. and welding i'tto the strand wires,advancing the fabric longitudinally of the strand wires a desired staywire spacing distance, Q feeding atleast one stay wire across only part.of the strand wires, cutting the stay wire of! and welding it to thespanned strand wires, repeating the operation to provide the. alternatelength stay wires along the wire fence; [and crimping each stay wire inturn after welding and during the welding of a'subsequent stay wire. f VY 14. That method of making wire fence which comprisesweldingtransve'rsestay wires at lonacterized by feeding a stay wireacross the full width ofthe substantially parallel strand wires,

cutting the stay wire of! and weldingv it to the strand wires. advancingthe fabric longitudinally of the strand wires a' desired stay wirespacing distance, feeding at least one stay wire across 'only partof thestrand wires, cutting the stay .jwire off and welding it to the spannedstrand wires, and repeating the operation to provide the. alternate.length stay wires along the 'wire comprises supporting longitudinallyextending substantially parallel strand wires, feeding a stay wireacross 'the substantially parallel strand Fwires, cutting the stay wireofl'andwelding it to the strand; wires, advancing: the fabriclongitudinally of-the strand wires, feeding another stay wire across atleast part of thestrand wires,

to provide the wire fence, and crimping each stay gitudina-llyj spacedpoints to longitudinally extending substantially parallel strand wires'charwire in turn after welding and during the weldf ing'of a subsequentstay wire.

JAMES K. WATKINS.

